Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Welterweight

Jan 17, 2012

Georges St. Pierre will be spending most of 2012 in his civvies.
| Photo: Brian Townsend

Welterweight

1. Georges
St. Pierre (22-2)
The welterweight division’s French Canadian king managed only one
Octagon appearance in 2011, a five-round decision win over Jake
Shields in April. Having recently undergone knee surgery, GSP will
sit on the shelf well into 2012, when he’ll ostensibly unify his
UFC championship with the winner of Feb. 4’s Nick Diaz-Carlos
Condit interim title bout.

2. Nick Diaz
(26-7, 1 ND)
It’s been an up-and-down year for Stockton, Calif.’s Diaz, who has
seen two chances to fight divisional ruler Georges St. Pierre slip
away. With GSP on the sideline for six to nine months, Diaz will
attempt to capture the UFC interim welterweight title against
Carlos Condit at UFC 143 on Feb. 4.

3. Johny
Hendricks (12-1)
Two-time NCAA wrestling champion Johny Hendricks entered his Dec.
30 bout with Jon Fitch as a live underdog, but who was banking on a
12-second knockout? With his picture-perfect left hook, the former
Oklahoma State Cowboy has put himself in position to potentially
contend for the UFC welterweight title in 2012.

4. Jon Fitch
(23-4-1, 1 NC)
Jon Fitch’s three-plus-year odyssey to get another UFC welterweight
title shot was waylaid at UFC 141, as Johny Hendricks needed just
one punch and 12 seconds to lay the former Purdue Boilermaker out.
It will be a long, slow climb back to Fitch’s former perch as
welterweight’s second banana.

5. Josh
Koscheck (16-5)
A short-notice booking yielded big-time gains in September when
Koscheck stepped in for Diego Sanchez and punched out former champ
Matt Hughes. Originally booked against Carlos Condit on Feb. 4, the
American Kickboxing Academy standout will instead meet Mike Pierce
in Las Vegas at UFC 143.

6. Jake Ellenberger (26-5)
Ellenberger looked to be on the fast track to title contention
after his 53-second demolition of Jake Shields in September, but
the ongoing St. Pierre-Diaz-Condit shuffle has impeded the
Nebraskan’s progress. In the meantime, he’ll tangle with perennial
contender Diego Sanchez in the main event of the UFC’s Fuel debut
on Feb. 15.

7. Jake Shields
(26-6-1)
On Sept. 17, Shields was knocked out for the first time in more
than 10 years by Jake Ellenberger. Now, Shields will return to
Japan, where he initially broke out in the Shooto ranks almost a
decade ago, as the Cesar Gracie disciple will take on Yoshihiro
Akiyama at UFC 144.

8. Carlos
Condit (27-5)
Condit fell into a title shot in October and then lost it just as
quickly when champ Georges St. Pierre suffered a knee injury. The
“Natural Born Killer” can cement his status on Feb. 4 at UFC 143,
where he’ll take on former Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz for the
UFC’s interim 170-pound belt and the right to face the returning
GSP.

9. Martin Kampmann (18-5)
After suffering narrow defeats against Jake Shields and Diego
Sanchez, “The Hitman” finally got a decision to fall his way on
Nov. 19 when he took a split not over tough wrestler Rick Story.
Kampmann will again have his hands full on March 3 when he meets
fellow striker Thiago Alves at UFC on FX 2 in Sydney.

10. B.J. Penn
(16-8-2)
B.J. Penn’s temporary hiatus from MMA following his October loss to
Nick Diaz had all but removed “The Prodigy” from the sport’s
headlines. However, a Twitter tirade against the aforementioned
Diaz has got many itching to see the Hawaiian back inside the cage
in 2012.